Tonight was the last yoga class on our ranch for the 2020 season.
As I sit here and reflect on our evenings together, I have a heart so full of gratitude.
Emily, our instructor, came into our life at such a special time, and with such an open and willing attitude toward what we wanted to do here. She quickly came to visit as soon as I reached out to see if this location would be of interest to her.
What I don't know if Emily knows, is how much yoga has saved my life this summer...
I was still in fairly early recovery from my late-term pregnancy loss, when I had taken time some mornings to go outside and sit in front of the pond, and quietly practice some novice yoga before my toddler woke... In those moments, where I felt such peace in the special place we had made, I thought how lovely it would be to share that with others and learn how to do these vinyasas properly.
What I love about doing yoga, is the quiet focus required to practice it. My mind, since everything that happened, had frequently been filled with chaos, anxiety, grief, and panic. Sometimes putting me out of commission for half a day or more - though, this side of things I've kept mostly to myself. I have had to find ways to combat these strong emotional take-overs, and therapies like spending time with our animals, gardening, aromatherapy, making art, and yoga have been hugely helpful for me to hone in on some inner peace. All things that help to center and quiet the mind.
When I spoke with my doctor about my status in the middle of the summer, and explained what I had been up to, she almost laughed - "most people say those are the things they are going to do, then they don't follow through" - she was very pleased with what I had done, before taking any other measures to help me make personal progress.
Wellness and nurturing the mind, body, and spirit, have been a big focus for me this summer, especially while dealing with the stress of barn building, and the pandemic on top of what we were already up against in regards to recovery. I knew I didn't want this trauma to be the end of me, with so many big goals for our ranch and family ahead still.
I became really motivated when we started having regulars come to the class, that were other people in the local community - some I had never met before. In addition, our classes would sell out in less than 24 hours! I was so psyched to have put myself out there (after being really nervous to), to find that it was something others desired to do as well.
This was so special to me, because part of my healing, allowed others to work through what they needed to as well. For some, a time to stretch, for others, a break from the daily grind and/or parenthood, or a reprieve in the midst of the pandemic stress. No matter the need, at the end of each session, feeling refreshed, and a little more stable, our yoga tribe grew strong in the golden evening light.
Each *dharma talk Emily offered at the beginning of class (*often serves as the moral grounding by which to begin to alter and shift one's perspective during a yoga class) became like a sermon for me (personally). Her ability to connect to all of us at a personal level, discussing life's trials and tribulations, is both vulnerable and admirable.
Emily's kind and clear communication, dedication to her students with accessible teaching, and gentle soul will forever inspire me. You never know what kind of reach you are capable of, until you put yourself out there. I hope she knows how many lives she has touched in the last few months.
I'm so honored that we all showed up, and so grateful for the time spent together. Thank you all for such a wonderful yoga season, and your assistance with my personal healing. We hope to see you, and more new friends, again next Spring.
Namaste
Certified Yoga Instructor, Emily Gaddis, teaches classes year-round at Rooted in Flow Yoga in downtown Berwick, Maine. Find them and their class times on Facebook, here (click the image):
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